


Under the Mistletoe

by dancer4813



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Almost Polymachina?, Fluff, Friendship/Love, It's pretty close, Other, Spoilers through Briarwoods Arc, Tal'dorei Campaign, Winter's Crest, holiday fic, no love lost between these friends, platonic and romantic love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-20 16:34:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13150617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancer4813/pseuds/dancer4813
Summary: Keyleth gets in the spirit of Winter's Crest and takes full advantage of the opportunity.





	Under the Mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [impossibletruths](https://archiveofourown.org/users/impossibletruths/gifts).



> Written a year ago on tumblr, now revised/edited for AO3.
> 
> Based on [this post](http://teammompike.tumblr.com/post/154744025790/keyleth-wearing-mistletoe-on-her-antlers-for-the) by [@teammompike](http://teammompike.tumblr.com/):
> 
> “keyleth wearing mistletoe on her antlers for the holiday season and acting confused every time someone asks her if she realizes what that means but oh yes she knows she just enjoys watching everyone stutter through trying to explain holiday traditions and waiting for people to kiss her”
> 
> This was a joy to revisit - Happy Winter's Crest/Happy Holidays to all of you!

Pike was the first to notice the berries, when they were wandering through the streets of Whitestone examining some of the local merchants’ wares.

“Keyleth, is that mistletoe?”

Keyleth turned her head to smile down at Pike. “I’m so glad you noticed! I found some on a tree when I went out to the forest earlier, and thought it was perfect for Winter’s Crest!“

The gnome tiled her head to one side. “You know what mistletoe means, right?”

“Of course,” Keyleth said, grinning. “Doesn’t everyone?”

“I suppose…”

“Pike! Did you still wanna do the arm-wrestling contest?” Grog asked, coming over to them. “It’s startin’ soon!”

“Yes, but give me a moment!” she said, opening her mouth to say something to Keyleth before apparently changing her mind and turning back to Grog. 

“Grog, do you know what mistletoe means?”

“Missle-what?”

“Mistletoe,” Pike repeated, gesturing up to Keyleth’s antlers. 

“I mean, looks like berries to me,” Grog said with a shrug. “And I’ve never really liked green things, like the leaves on them. They never taste good.”

“Come here.” Pike gestured for Grog to crouch down and Keyleth went back to looking at the various jewelry on display, hiding a chuckle.

“Wait, really?” Grog exclaimed from behind her, and Keyleth turned to see Pike shushing him but nodding, grinning. 

“Does that mean…”

“Only if you want to,” Pike said with a shrug. “But it’s tradition, so…”

She gave him a knowing look, and he stared at her for a moment before turning back to Keyleth. 

“Do you know what mistletoe is?” he asked her. Keyleth laughed, unable to hide it, and nodded. 

“I think so,” she said, and Grog considered her for a moment before stepping forward and placing a hesitant but firm kiss on top of her head, barely needing to stoop because of her height. 

“Any more participants for the arm-wrestling competition?” came a general call from behind them, and Grog straightened up. 

“Happy Winter’s Crest, Keyleth!” he said quickly, already backing away to get to the tables. “Pike can explain the mizzle-toes if you ask!”

“Thank you, Grog! Happy Winter’s Crest!” Keyleth shouted back with a laugh. She looked back to Pike, who was smirking.

“You don’t need mistletoe explained, do you, Keyleth?” she asked, and Keyleth shook her head. 

“I think I’ve got it pretty well sorted, but thank you, Pike.”

“Well, I might as well get in the spirit of the season,” Pike said. “Right?”

“Of course! I mean-”

“Pike! Are you joining the arm-wrestling competition?” Grog bellowed from behind them. 

“Yes! Give me a moment!” Pike yelled back, leaning to the side. She rolled her eyes, shaking her head with a smile, and beckoned Keyleth down to her level. 

“Sorry I couldn’t stay a bit longer,” Pike said, but Keyleth only shrugged. 

“Go kick their butts.”

“Anything for my favorite druid,” Pike murmured, standing on her tiptoes to kiss Keyleth on the cheek. “Happy Winter’s Crest, Keyleth.”

Keyleth returned the kiss and pulled Pike into a quick hug. “And the same to you, Pike.”

“Pike! They’re startin’!”

“Oh- gotta run!” Pike exclaimed, peeking around Keyleth’s shoulder. “See you later!” 

And she ran off to join the other contestants at the array of tables in the square.

Keyleth, chuckling behind her fingers, made her way over to Scanlan, who was absentmindedly humming and tapping his foot along to a tune played by a lively string quartet.  
She lowered herself onto the bench at the table next to the bard, watching the musicians as he hummed. 

“What’s the name of this song?” she asked, trying to sort out the rhythms and figure out if she’d heard them before. She didn’t think she had, but Scanlan seemed familiar with it.

“An old folk song,” he said, stretching and glancing toward her. “But the lyrics were…”

He trailed off, blinking twice at the white berries tied securely onto either side of Keyleth’s antlered headdress. 

“What about the lyrics?” she asked, raising her eyebrows. 

“The lyrics?”

“The lyrics to the song,” she said, gesturing to the quartet. “You said that the lyrics were…”

“Ah, yes,” Scanlan said with a short sigh. “The lyrics were lost to time, I suppose they’d say. I once met an older bard who knew them, but I was with Dr. Dranzel at the time and we were simply passing through, so I never learned them myself.”

“That’s too bad…” Keyleth said, trailing off as the song finished.

“You know, mistletoe has a particular meaning around this time of the year,” Scanlan said, trying and failing to sound nonchalant. “A very particular meaning, if you get my drift.”

“Of course it’s got an important meaning,” Keyleth said, reaching up to adjust the berries on the left antler, doing her best to hide a smile. “Why else would I be wearing some?”

Scanlan seemed at a loss for words for a moment, and Keyleth watched the musicians arrive at the correct pages in their music, and start playing together, an upbeat and vaguely familiar tune that Keyleth was sure she’d heard at a previous Winter’s Crest - probably the one in Emon a year prior.

“I really don’t think… Oh, fuck it,” Scanlan said, hopping up from the bench to bow to Keyleth. “May I have this dance?”

“Well, if you insist, though I’m not the best dancer…” Keyleth said, chuckling as she stood and Scanlan practically dragged her to the center of the square, where a few other couples had already started something of a jig. 

Keyleth had never learned many social dances - the Ashari used dance less for communal purposes and more for representing the elements around them - and she had never really been one for coordinated movement. (Her father had always said her talent made up for her lack of grace.) And yet, somehow, Scanlan was managing to lead her around the dance floor expertly, skipping between couples and keeping up with her hesitant steps despite the large height difference between them. 

Well, until the song drew to a close and Scanlan attempted to dip her, his arms hardly long enough to wrap around her torso, her weight too much for him. He whistled quickly, summoning Bigby’s Hand to support her, and gave her a quick kiss on the corner of her lips that she barely was able to return before he pulled back, grinning, his chest heaving as her own was while they both gasped for air. 

“Thank you for the dance, my lady,” Scanlan said, adding a flourishing arm of embellishment to his bow. “And Happy Winter’s Crest.”

“No, thank you, Scanlan,” Keyleth said with as neat a curtsy as she could perform, her face flushed with excitement and exertion. “And a Happy Winter’s Crest to you as well.”

Throat dry and spirit light, Keyleth waved goodbye to Scanlan and made her way to the tavern, coming out with a tankard of water after only a minute or so and taking a seat at one of the empty tables lining the street, looking around happily at the festivities. 

“That’s some lovely mistletoe you’ve got there,” came Percy’s voice from behind her as he sat down. 

“Thank you, Percy! I think it’s a nice touch, don’t you?” Keyleth asked, smirking slightly as she turned to face him. 

“Very nice. Winter’s Crest-appropriate, as well.”

“Exactly. Though, it is poisonous, you know, which makes it an interesting choice for decoration.”

“Is it?” Percy asked, a smirk of his own sliding into place on his lips. “I guess I’ve never had any reason to eat mistletoe and find out, but thank you for letting me know. Now I’ll be aware should anyone try to feed me some.”

Keyleth laughed, and Percy laughed with her. He pulled her into a hug with one arm, kissing her forehead gently before releasing her. 

“Has Vax seen this yet?” he asked, gesturing to the top of her headdress.

“He’s next on my list,” Keyleth said, glancing over to where the twins were standing together, cheering on Pike and Grog in the arm-wrestling competition.

“I usually wouldn’t recommend lists, but I think that’s a good plan,” Percy said, chuckling. “I’ll have to keep watch for that amusing interaction.”

“I hope it will be,” Keyleth said, reaching up to check that the vines she’d druidcrafted to hold the berries in place were still holding strong. “Well, no time like the present, right?”

“None at all,” Percy said with a knowing grin. 

Keyleth made to stand, and Percy grabbed her hand. 

“By the way, Happy Winter’s Crest, Keyleth.”

“Happy Winter’s Crest, Percy,” Keyleth said with a smile, waving farewell as she made her way over to the twins. 

“Hello!” she greeted, approaching the two of them.

“Hello Keyleth!” Vex said, the look she gave Keyleth mildly confused until she replaced it with a wide smile and a wink. Keyleth let her own grin grow for a moment, then worked to school her expression, waiting for Vax to turn around.

“Hey, Kiki,” he said distractedly, watching Pike take down a teenager whose smug smile had been wiped clean off his face. When the gnome stood up proudly and fist-bumped

Grog, he turned to look at Keyleth with a smile that fell off his face after only a moment, replaced with a look of confusion.

“You’ve got mistletoe,” he said, tilting his head to the side. 

“No shit, brother,” Vex said, elbowing him in the side. He elbowed her back.

“I just…” he seemed lost for words, and Keyleth made a supreme effort to keep herself from laughing and continue looking innocent and just a little confused at his words . 

“Yes?”

“Uh, well…”

“Did you have a question?”

“Well, umm… Do the Ashari have a particular meaning for mistletoe? Being a plant, that is.”

Vax’ cheeks flushed and Keyleth lifted one hand to hide her laughter as she pretended to think about her answer. 

“Mistletoe to us means life and longevity, I suppose, and can be used as a symbol of love. It’s also said to grant protection from poison, though I always find that strange since it’s actually a poisonous plant.”

Vax gulped audibly. “Is it?” he asked, his voice higher than it normally would be. “That’s interesting…”

He swallowed once and breathed deeply, then continued. “So, is there any special tradition the Ashari use mistletoe for during the holidays?” Vax asked, shifting from foot to foot with awkwardness screaming from him. Keyleth was quite sure it was the sort she was usually victim of and not witness to, and she had to admit, it felt rather good to be on the other side of things. 

“We hang it up around Zephra, I suppose…” Keyleth said, deliberately vague. She found herself glancing at Vex, who smirked and winked at her from over Vax’s shoulder.

“But is there any…” 

Vax made a vague gesture to his face and puckered his lips slightly.

“Is there any… what?” Keyleth probed, making Vex catch herself on a laugh. 

“Yes, any what, brother?” she chimed in. 

“You’re not helping!” Vax shot back over his shoulder. “Any- oh, you know!” 

“Do I?”

“Kiki!” 

“I don’t understand, Vax,” Keyleth said, softening her eyes with extreme difficulty, since she wanted nothing more than to burst out laughing. “Any what?”

She knew their relationship hadn’t progressed much outside the bedroom, but she hadn’t imagined such a strong reaction from him when faced with a public display of affection.

“I think he means any kisses, darling,” Vex said, stepping forward, which was all the warning Keyleth had before the ranger planted a kiss square on Keyleth’s lips. 

It was a surprise, but not an unwelcome one, and Keyleth returned the kiss happily before Vex pulled away, cheeks flushed and with a sultry grin on her face. 

“Vex!”

“Oh, but brother, you were just going to leave your girlfriend hanging while you stuttered about,” Vex said, turning back to him. 

“That didn’t mean you had to just- I can’t believe you-”

“Vax, of course the Ashari tradition involves kissing,” Keyleth said, side-stepping Vex. “Doesn’t every tradition with mistletoe?”

“Well, I suppose,” Vax said, still looking very uncomfortable, his cheeks pink. “But then why-”

“-Did I wear some?” Keyleth asked, stepping toward him and lifting her hand to cup his cheek. “Why, just to see the look on your face, of course.”

And she kissed him, closing her eyes as their lips met, the warm breath against her face contrasting sharply with the cool air around them. 

The kiss itself was soft and gentle and not at all how she had intended to kiss him, but she couldn’t complain. They held it for a long moment, then separated, and Vax sighed before resting his forehead against Keyleth’s, his cheeks still a darker pink than the winter air warranted. 

“Part of me wants to be mad at you, but somehow I can’t manage it,” he said, reaching up to cover the hand that was still on his cheek. 

“Glad to hear it,” Keyleth said, taking his fingers in her own. “Happy Winter’s Crest, Vax.”

“Happy Winter’s Crest, Kiki.”


End file.
